


Mated

by Destielshipper4Cas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Dean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Barebacking, Bottom Castiel, Bottom Castiel/Top Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester in Denial About Sexuality, Dom/sub Undertones, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, First Time, From Sex to Love, Internalized Homophobia, Knotting, M/M, Marking, Mating, Omega Verse, Pining, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Scenting, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Top Dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:34:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destielshipper4Cas/pseuds/Destielshipper4Cas
Summary: Of course, if Dean had known that it was possible for an alpha to mate another alpha, he would never have let himself get carried away and bitten the hot alpha’s mating gland in the throes of passion. It wasn’t like he was into alphas, after all… Right?Having accidentally mated the most awesome alpha, he might have to rethink some things about himself as he gets to know his mate and starts falling for him.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 713
Kudos: 1692
Collections: The Destiel Fan Survey Favs Collection





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Writing “The Alpha Next Door” really made me want to write an Alpha/Alpha story where they both actually are alphas, so here we are. Dean has to come to terms with his sexuality in this one, too, but the obvious difference is that Cas really is an alpha.
> 
> Heed the ‘internalized homophobia’ tag.

There was a club for alphas in Pontiac, Illinois. A sex club, to be exact. Dean had stumbled upon it by accident when he had passed through the city once. He should have been tipped off by the club’s name ‘Purgaytory,’ but instead, he had only found out what the club was all about after he had entered.

By that time, it would have been too much trouble to leave and find a new place to unwind. Plus, he was up to trying everything once. And boy was he glad that he had tried it out!

Here’s how things worked in Purgaytory: You could pay for a private room where you met up with another nameless customer. An alpha fight determined who the higher-ranking alpha was, and the winner could then claim his prize and fuck the loser into submission.

Of course, if you wanted to win, you also had to accept the possibility of losing and ending up with a dick up your ass. But Dean was a great fighter—he never lost.

Some of the alphas he fought were also coming here expecting to win the fight, overly confident and cocky, taunting him about how they’d make him their bitch. They were in for a surprise when Dean ended up being the one to fuck _them_.

Don’t get him wrong. It wasn’t like Dean was into alphas. He just liked the power rush of making them submit to him. And the ultimate submission was when they were taking his cock.

Making omegas submit was easy. Making _alphas_ submit… That’s where it was at. The moment he pushed his cock into their tight assholes and then proceeded to show them what it felt like to be mounted by an alpha was what had Dean come back to the club every time he was in the vicinity. And sometimes, if it’d been too long, he just got into Baby and drove the multiple-hour drive there just because.

This was one of those days. Sure, he could have gone to a normal club, picked up an omega or two and brought them home to have some boring sex with them. But he hadn’t been back to Purgaytory in _months_ , and his alpha craved a bit more today. The musky scent of alpha, not the sweet one of an omega that more often than not just made him want to gag. A naked alpha fight, skin on skin, erections touching in the process while both tried to get the other one to forfeit…

Yeah, Purgaytory was awesome!

He was the first one in the room today and when he saw the other alpha enter, he knew. He was going to dominate the _shit_ out of this alpha! Dean had never seen such a hot alpha in his life and he just _had_ to have him.

He knew then and there: before the night was over, this alpha would know what it felt like to have Dean’s cock in his ass and what it felt like to have Dean’s spunk dribble out of his hole.

“Hello,” the stranger greeted him with a deep voice—all alpha, which was an instant turn on. He was eyeing Dean’s naked body with an appreciative glance at his dick, which was already half-hard just thinking about what he was going to do to him.

Then, the alpha proceeded to unclothe too, putting his trench coat and suit (who was wearing a suit to a club like this anyway?!) on a chair next to Dean’s.

After he had made sure his suit wouldn’t wrinkle (seriously, this alpha’s need to unwind was greater than Dean’s!), he joined him in the middle of the room—and just like that, the alpha fight started.

It quickly became clear that they were about equal in strength. Dean tried to pin the alpha underneath him a few times, but somehow he always managed to wriggle away from him at the last second.

That only served to awaken Dean’s chasing instincts, which was a bit strange because these sorts of instincts were supposed to only get activated when in the presence of an omega. But Dean was too busy trying to win this fight to analyze it further.

Twice, the other alpha had _him_ backed into a corner, but there was no way Dean would submit, and eventually, he was able to turn the tables on him again.

Finally, when they were both panting heavily, the scent of sweat mixed in with that of arousal as skin was gliding against naked skin, Dean managed to pin him to the floor and keep him down with his weight. There was nowhere left for the alpha to escape to.

First, the alpha struggled a bit, still attempting to buck him off, but when he realized it was to no avail, he went pliant and—yes! Finally!—bared his neck for Dean, admitting defeat.

Dean’s alpha rejoiced at that. This was it! He had this alpha in a vulnerable position and they both knew who was the stronger alpha here!

It was time to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Making sure he kept him pinned underneath him, Dean leaned down to nose along his neck, accepting his surrender.

God, no alpha had any right to smell that nice! Damn, but that scent only served to make his dick harder, even though he really shouldn’t get turned on by an alpha’s scent.

To distract himself from that train of thought, Dean leaned down to whisper into the alpha’s ear, “You’re gonna get fucked now.”

The alpha shuddered in response. Dean probably had a first-timer here if the nervous scent was anything to go by. For a second, Dean thought that maybe he’d back out (at this point, the alpha who had lost was technically still allowed to call it off), but then the scent of alpha arousal hit his nose. Yeah, this alpha needed to get fucked just as much as Dean needed to fuck him.

He only let the alpha up long enough to relocate to the bed in the corner of the room before he turned him onto his belly, ass up, so that he could start fingering him open.

God, that channel was tight! The lube was right there on a shelf above the bed, so Dean made sure to use lots of it. No natural lubrication as with omegas after all.

The alpha shuddered again when Dean started pumping his fingers in and out of him, probing and sliding along his inner walls, fucking the lube deep inside his willing ass.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” Dean reassured him, a hand on the small of his back stroking him softly while the other was busy finger-fucking him open.

In reality, he knew he’d fuck him hard and fast—there was no place for ‘gentle’ when two alphas were going at it—but by that time, the alpha would be begging for it. A hard fuck was just what this alpha needed to appreciate his position in the rank order.

Then, finally, the alpha’s hole was prepped enough and it was time for Dean to position the tip of his cock at the entrance to his body. The alpha let out a sexy little grunt when he was breached for the first time.

Dean had forgotten how _good_ this felt! So much better than slipping his cock into an omega’s loose hole. He pushed forward oh so slowly, inch by inch, drawing out the moment of penetration.

Holding back was hard since the alpha’s tight hole just felt so fucking amazing! Alphas’ channels were always so much tighter than an omega’s slick-covered one. But he’d fuck him open yet.

Finally, he bottomed out and the alpha really had the whole length of a cock in his ass. The moment of true submission. He was taking it so well, the occasional grunt the only sound he made, not even trying to wiggle away from Dean. As a reward, Dean stroked along his sides up to his neck.

The alpha now knew his place and instinctively bared it.

He’d get truly fucked now and then Dean was going to unload into his most intimate of places. The thought alone was such a turn on that Dean snapped his hips forward to deliver the first powerful thrust.

Another grunt from the alpha underneath him. Oh yeah, he was about to experience what getting fucked by a real alpha felt like. He’d better get used to it because Dean was nowhere near done defiling his little hole.

It took him another few thrusts to get a rhythm going, but then he could easily pick up speed, making sure he fucked the alpha so hard he’d never forget his place.

After a while, the alpha’s grunts turned into desperate whimpers. Seemed like Dean had found the pleasure point deep within his hole. He sounded just like an omega in heat getting the fuck of his life.

His neck looked so delicious, bared for him in invitation, accepting Dean’s dominance. The offer was obvious just as it was irresistible. The next time Dean pushed his cock deep into the alpha, he just kept it in there and leaned forward to give the alpha’s mating gland a little nibble.

That made the alpha go wild. He thrashed around underneath him, arousal peaking, so Dean did it again, biting harder to keep him in place so that he could deliver another punishing thrust.

If he didn’t know better, he’d say he smelled mating hormones mixed in with the scent of the alpha’s arousal. But that was impossible, of course, since alphas couldn’t mate each other.

“Please.” And there it was, the mighty alpha reduced to begging for another alpha to fuck him harder. His whole demeanor screamed submission at this point, as he pushed his ass back to take Dean deeper in a position that could only be described as _presenting_ for him.

While Dean’s cock continued making this alpha his bitch, other kinds of instincts were taking over. He needed to mark his alpha. Mark him good. And not just by leaving him with a load of his spunk in his tight little ass.

That’s why he bit harder still. Leaving a bite mark on his neck was just what Dean’s alpha needed.

The alpha was now moaning unashamedly, managing between pants, “Yes!” and “Harder!” and, best of all, “ _Alpha_!”

Dean faltered in his jackhammer rhythm when he realized that his knot was starting to form. This hardly ever happened when he was with an alpha, but he just went with the flow and pushed the knot against the alpha’s rim with each new thrust.

Another spike in the alpha’s scent and then he was coming, without Dean ever touching him down there (because why would he touch another alpha’s junk?!). His channel squeezed Dean so exquisitely that he had no choice but to follow, pumping his seed deep into the alpha’s ass.

Some strange instinct made Dean knot him too. Of course, he’d never even thought about knotting an alpha, but right then, the urge to go all the way had been impossible to fight.

Why had he never thought to do this before? In a way, knotting an alpha was even better than just fucking him as a sign of complete dominance over him.

For a moment, the only sound filling the room was their panting, breaths slowly returning to normal.

Then the alpha looked over his shoulder and asked, his voice a perfect deadpan, “Did you… _knot_ me?”

Okay, so maybe it was a bit strange, knotting an alpha. The knot was really only supposed to pop when plunging it into an omega’s wet hole. But Dean understood why his alpha had been confused, fucking such a responsive alpha who’d been all submissive and urging him on.

Instead of replying, Dean lapped at the bite mark he had left on the alpha’s neck, which was thrilling because it looked like he had a claim on him.

The alpha shuddered and went pliant immediately, offering his neck for Dean to scent.

Scenting an alpha was kinda gay, but Dean didn’t really care with all those post-orgasmic endorphins floating through his system, so he leaned down to take a whiff.

Holy mother of scent compatibility! He’d picked up on this alpha’s awesome scent during their fight and… other activities—how could he not?—but really _scenting_ him was so much better! There was no mistaking the scent of alpha, earthy, musky, still with the last remnants of arousal, but their scents had started to mix and Dean _loved_ smelling himself on him. He smelled better than any omega he’d ever scented!

Since the comparison to an omega had already been established in his mind, his instincts told him to cuddle and soothe this alpha. After all, he had just been fucked within an inch of his life, maybe even for the first time, and he had done so well, letting Dean take the lead, even though his alpha instincts had to have told him to try and be the one on top.

So, while Dean’s knot was still lodged in his ass, Dean made sure to stroke gently along his hips and up his sides while he continued licking at the bite mark he had left on him.

Dean’s own alpha felt so much better now that he had taken care of his urges.

Still, when his knot went down and it was time to say goodbye, for the first time since he had started coming here, he hated that anonymous rule that meant no names.

This alpha had been the best lay he’d ever had and now Dean wasn’t getting to mount him ever again? It really sucked that once they were dressed again, they had this awkward moment where they didn’t really know how to say goodbye.

It sucked even more when Dean was in his car on his way home. Somehow, the more distance he put between himself and the club, the worse he felt.

It was probably just because he knew he wouldn’t get to go back to Purgaytory in at least a few weeks. Too bad they didn’t have a club like that closer to home. Or maybe his rut was coming on…

He put on some music in an attempt to chase away the strange feeling, but it didn’t work. For whatever reason, it felt like he was driving _away_ from home instead of towards it.


	2. Chapter 2

Amelia was a sweet omega. Castiel would probably have mated her if things had worked out differently.

As it was, there was a lot of animosity between them towards the end, and one of the last things she yelled at him before she left for good was that if he still didn’t know what this was about, maybe he should visit Purgaytory.

Castiel still didn’t quite understand what had prompted all the yelling, but it could probably be traced back to when Amelia had found an internet site on his laptop—which, in hindsight, he should have deleted from his history.

He had stumbled upon the site by accident (if googling for it could be considered an accident) and he was curious by nature, which was how he had gotten into watching niche porn—namely porn featuring two alphas.

It had started with a video of two alphas and an omega, but the more taboo videos of just two alphas with no omega in sight had soon piqued his interest. Even just seeing the alphas kiss each other while getting naked was more exciting than watching an alpha push into some omega over and over again.

Needless to say, the site had been _very_ helpful during his last rut, but of course Amelia had thought the fact that he didn’t want to spend his rut with her was some kind of ‘red flag.’

For an omega, she had a rather high sex drive and Castiel simply didn’t care much for mounting omegas. He did it more out of obligation than anything, but secretly, he was glad when it was over.

It didn’t help that Amelia always wanted to talk about his inability to pop a knot. The doctor had said that there was nothing physically wrong with him and he should be able to knot an omega—but it just never happened. Castiel had no problem with that—he certainly didn’t feel like less of an alpha because of it—but Amelia came up with strange ideas she found online like knot massages or using additional slick… All of which just made Castiel uncomfortable.

So, all in all, maybe it was for the best that they hadn’t ended up mated.

Curious as to what her comment about Purgaytory had been all about, he found himself on the website of the club—and swallowed hard when he realized what kind of club it was.

Reading through the rules of the club, his heart rate picked up just thinking about going there.

Watching porn with two alphas was one thing. It was a fantasy. It didn’t have anything to do with real life. But actually going there and possibly doing some of those things he had seen in those videos with another alpha…

The thought of the alpha fight alone was strangely thrilling. Testing who was the stronger alpha, wrestling with each other a bit while naked… There were rules for what was allowed during the fight too, so no one could get seriously hurt. And there was always the sign that would put an immediate end to the fight: baring your neck to the other alpha and thus showing him that he was the winner of this alpha fight.

While it was certainly arousing to think about, maybe the fantasy wouldn’t translate well into reality.

Over the next few days, Castiel visited the website of the club almost every day. He even drove by it a couple of times, but was too nervous to actually go in.

Then, one day he had had enough of wondering what it would be like. He had done his research, he knew how this worked, and so he tried to look confident and like he belonged when he entered the club.

This might just be a one-time thing. Nothing to get too worked up over. If he didn’t like it, he simply wouldn’t come back.

Still, he almost changed his mind when the beta at the counter looked at him expectantly. If he paid for the private room as planned, the beta would know that he was most likely about to engage in sexual activity with another alpha.

Castiel swallowed and requested that private room. He had come this far, there was no turning back now. The beta didn’t seem to care one way or another, just showed him the way and mentioned that another alpha was already waiting inside.

When he entered the room, he did a double take. He hadn’t really thought about what the alpha he would be paired with would look like—but he certainly hadn’t expected _this_. Did alphas in real life even look that handsome or had he stepped into some Hollywood movie?

The alpha was already naked, and he was definitely fit. Well-defined muscles made Castiel want to step closer and let his arms wander over his chest.

He managed to say hello while his eyes involuntarily drifted down to the alpha’s cock, hanging heavy between his legs.

Oh, right. He should get undressed too instead of ogling the other alpha.

When he was naked, he fiddled around with his clothes some more because even though he had read through the rules ten times, he didn’t quite know where to go from here.

Finally, when there was nothing left to do, he hesitantly walked towards the other alpha—who promptly attacked, starting the alpha fight.

It turned out that the alpha was a very skilled fighter. He was certainly giving Castiel a run for his money—and he found that he _loved_ it. Apart from the fact that he got to grope the alpha’s strong arms and press against him when he had Castiel cornered, it had been ages since he’d had such a fun workout. If they had activities like these at his gym, he would definitely go more often.

Alphas roughhousing with each other was something _young_ alphas did. Right now, Castiel had no idea why adult alphas should miss out on all the fun.

They were working up quite a sweat, which only meant that the alpha’s scent was getting stronger and harder to ignore. This was what had been missing when he had gotten off to videos of two alphas—actually being able to smell the alpha scent that made him drool with the need to get his mouth on that big alpha cock.

They were both aroused by all the wrestling foreplay and when the alpha tried to tackle him once more, his hard dick slid against Castiel’s hip, which was distraction enough for the alpha to pin him to the floor and use his weight to keep him down.

No matter how much he struggled against the strong hold and tried to wiggle free, the alpha had the upper hand now and there was no getting out from underneath him. For some reason, his dick jumped at that realization. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this turned on.

The other alpha had clearly won the fight, so there was nothing left for him to do but acknowledge it by baring his neck in surrender. It was mostly an omega instinct, but alphas tended to do it while in the presence of a stronger alpha, and Castiel had seen some of the alphas in the porn videos do it shortly before they got mounted and fucked.

As if the alpha had read his mind, he leaned in and whispered, his voice raunchy and his breath hot against Castiel’s neck, “You’re gonna get fucked now.”

That’s when he realized: he was submitting to that hot, naked alpha above him, and baring his neck to end the fight was only the beginning. Just that thought sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine.

He was an alpha. He should be the one to fuck omegas. Or maybe betas. Instead, this hunk of an alpha was about to mount _him_. The thought shouldn’t be as hot as it was.

The alpha dragged him to the bed and positioned him on his belly before spreading his ass cheeks and using one finger to probe at his hole. His hole that wasn’t meant to be played with, wasn’t meant to take another alpha’s fingers much less cock. No matter how often he told himself that, his asshole was still tingling in anticipation.

The finger left for a short moment and then returned, cold and wet, before it pushed against his hole and then slipped inside, spreading the wetness around. Maybe artificial slick or lube, but Castiel didn’t care. The only thought left inside his head was that he was getting finger fucked by another alpha who was getting his asshole ready so that he could fuck it—and Castiel had never been this turned on in his entire _life_! From the scent of it, the other alpha was just as aroused by the turn of events. He held Castiel down with one hand while the other was prepping his hole, quick and efficient.

His ass made obscene squelching sounds when the alpha pushed copious amounts of lube into it, slicking it up to imitate an omega’s lubricated channel so that his cock would be able to slide in and out of it more easily.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” the alpha promised, the hand holding him down letting up a bit to stroke and reassure him.

He fucked his fingers into him a few more times before he replaced them with something bigger. Castiel felt the tip of the alpha’s dick nudge against his hole, searching for the entrance to his body, and then the alpha pushed inside of him and he was being penetrated for real.

Feeling that naked cock slowly make its way into his ass, submissive instincts suddenly flooded through him. This was the alpha who had won the fight, who was now asserting his dominance over him by shoving his cock all the way up his hole. And all Castiel wanted to do was show him that he accepted his dominance.

Finally, Castiel could feel the alpha’s heavy balls against his ass and the long, thick cock lodged inside it, and that’s when it hit him: He legitimately had a dick in his ass! There was a huge alpha prick inside of his hole and said alpha was about to use it, and wouldn’t stop until he had fucked his seed into Castiel’s very core.

When the alpha stroked along his sides up to his neck, to his _mating gland_ , Castiel couldn’t hold his instincts in check any longer. With his ass stuffed to the brim, about to get fucked by an alpha for the first time, there was no way he could resist baring his neck in submission.

This seemed to spur the alpha on. He pulled halfway out and then thrust back into him roughly. Castiel tried in vain to suppress the groans. There was no mistaking what was happening to him right now. He was being fucked by another alpha, pulled back onto his cock with each thrust like some omega.

He tried to get a hand on his own cock, which was in desperate need of relief, but the alpha had really found his rhythm now and Castiel had to hang on, clinging to the pillows for support as the alpha penetrated him again and again.

Suddenly, the alpha’s cockhead hit something deep within him and his toes curled as a tingling sensation shot from his ass straight to his balls.

He couldn’t believe the sounds he was making, but at this point, he really didn’t care because the alpha continued pounding his prostate until he felt like he was losing his mind, every nerve ending on fire.

This alpha really deserved his whole respect, so Castiel tilted his head even further to the side, baring his throat in a vulnerable display that would hopefully get the alpha to lose control and force his cock deeper inside of him. For some reason he really needed the alpha to touch his neck or lick him there or… _some_ thing.

The alpha took him up on the offer and went right for his mating gland, giving it a little nibble.

Castiel had had omegas play with his mating gland before and it had done nothing for him. But this alpha, who was balls-deep inside of him… Having _him_ nibble and bite at his mating gland was the best feeling in the world—especially when the alpha bit harder and continued fucking him at the same time, never faltering in his brutal rhythm. Luckily, the alpha was still holding him down as he was pounding him into the mattress because otherwise, it would have been very difficult to squash his instinct to turn around and show him his belly.

Something weird was happening then at the base of his dick. It took another harsh thrust for him to realize what it was. His _knot_ was forming!

“Please!” he begged because the sensations were just too much and not enough at the same time.

He needed the alpha. He needed him to fuck into his prostate again because there was no way that he could get a hand on his own cock while he was scrambling to push his ass up at the same time.

He needed the alpha to fuck into him deeper, harder, fuck the orgasm out of him because his dick was leaking and so desperate for it. It had never been this hard, his balls never been this full, and he wasn’t above begging at this point.

What he needed most, though, was for the alpha to stop playing around and _bite_ him! Not these little nibbles, but _really_ bite him. His mating gland was right there, exposed as a sign of total surrender, so what was he waiting for?!

Finally, the alpha seemed to understand and his teeth sank deep into his mating gland, making the sensations so much more intense that his whole body was quivering with pleasure.

Castiel wasn’t the only one whose knot was forming. The alpha’s knot was being pushed against his hole with each thrust as Castiel continued to urge him on and beg for more, even though he had no idea what it was he was begging for.

Then it all happened at the same time. The teeth had a real tight grip on his mating gland, the alpha’s cock hit _that_ spot again, and Castiel’s dick started shooting come everywhere as his knot desperately tried to knot something that wasn’t there.

The other alpha’s knot did have something to lock into, though, and when he flooded Castiel’s ass with hot, thick spunk, he pushed the knot into his hole, too.

Trying to catch his breath, Castiel couldn’t quite believe that sex could be like _this_.

Still… he also couldn’t quite believe that he had just let an alpha fuck his ass and even _knot_ him. Was that what was usually done here? Who had ever heard of an alpha being knotted? He could knot him all he wanted—his sperm wouldn’t find an egg to fertilize. Even the more hardcore alpha porn videos hadn’t featured knotting.

So, he turned around as best he could with the cock and knot in his ass and asked, “Did you… _knot_ me?”

The alpha didn’t respond, but when he started licking at the bite mark on his neck, Castiel forgot what he had even asked and bared his neck again, inviting the alpha to scent. All of a sudden, he had the need for some intimacy. _Another_ kind of intimacy, and scenting seemed like a good place to start. He was still very confused about everything that had just happened here and he needed something else from the alpha now that the rough fuck was over.

Since he was still on his belly, he couldn’t quite scent back, but when the alpha leaned in to nose at his scent gland, Castiel got a good whiff of his awesome scent regardless. On top of that, even the nose tickling his scent gland gave him the secure feeling of being cared for, and not just used as a fuck toy, which he only now realized was something else he needed from this alpha.

More than that, the alpha blanketed him with his own body and started gently stroking his hips and sides—a stark contrast to the hard fuck from before. Castiel was being… cuddled. There was no other word for it. The alpha cuddled and comforted him with soft strokes along his sides and slow licks across the bite mark he had left on his mating gland, and Castiel felt so much better than he ever had after sex, even though his asshole was sore and his whole world had just shifted.

He shouldn’t let an alpha comfort him after he had fucked his spunk into him—that wasn’t very alpha-like—but it just felt so good. So right. He could lie here forever, letting the alpha take care of him and cuddle him with such tenderness and something that almost felt like affection.

But of course, that’s not what Purgaytory was all about. Their time was almost up and they were about to part ways.

Castiel was glad that his knot went down before the alpha’s because it might have been a bit embarrassing if the alpha saw that he had popped a knot from getting fucked.

As it was, they got dressed without a word, and then said their goodbyes.

He had read the rules enough times that he knew he shouldn’t ask for the stranger’s name, which was why he had to watch him walk away. It was harder than it should have been since they didn’t even really know each other. But the bite mark on his neck was starting to pound angrily the minute they parted ways, and now that he didn’t have the comfort of the alpha’s gentle touch anymore, he suddenly missed it so bad it almost hurt him physically.

He was already at home when he realized that he now understood what Amelia had meant. Yes, it definitely was for the best that they hadn’t gotten mated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is thanks to debandalex.
> 
> I might add more to this verse later if there's interest.
> 
> Here is the **[rebloggable tumblr post](https://destielshipper4cas.tumblr.com/post/626449787013693440/mated)**.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean had rules, dammit! Among the top of them: He didn’t let himself think about his encounters in Purgaytory when he was back home. What happened in Purgaytory stayed in Purgaytory and all that jazz.

He definitely didn’t think about the alphas he’d fucked when he was beating one off. But thoughts of the blue-eyed alpha came at the most inopportune moments, which was starting to get annoying.

Out of nowhere, he’d think back to the alpha fight and how beautiful the alpha had looked with his neck bared. Or he’d think about what else he’d have loved to do to that alpha. He should have given that ass a few good spanks while riding it.

He had broken the first rule when he had still had his cock up the alpha’s ass: Purgaytory wasn’t the place to friggen _cuddle_ an alpha after giving him a hard fuck. You just sent them on their way with a sore, well-used hole filled with spunk.

Touching was supposed to be kept to his dick and the other alpha’s ass.

Another rule he had a hard time remembering was that he wasn’t allowed to go back there too often. Maybe once every few weeks. So why the hell was he itching with the need to get into Baby and make the drive back even though he’d just returned home?!

The only thought that managed to placate him a bit was that the alpha was no doubt still thinking about their encounter in Purgaytory. After all, Dean had used his virgin ass good, and the bite mark on his neck wouldn’t fade anytime soon.

He wondered what the alpha told his friends when they asked about it. It wasn’t like he could say another alpha had marked him.

“What’s up with you today?” Benny asked during lunch break at the garage.

“What’re you talking about?!” Dean replied, taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

“You’re restless,” Benny said, eyebrows raised as he waited for an explanation.

Dean shrugged. “Just haven’t gotten laid in a while.” That was the truth. Fucking an alpha in Purgaytory didn’t count. That was just part of an alpha fight.

“Want to go out tonight?” Benny asked. “I could be your wingman.”

Dean snorted. “I don’t need a wingman. You’d just ruin my game. ’sides, I got plans.”

“Yeah?” Benny asked, sounding surprised. “What kind of plans?”

Since it really wasn’t any of Benny’s business, he said, “Fucking your sister.”

The other alpha rolled his eyes. “Your comebacks would be a lot better if I _had_ a sister.”

Dean forced a smile and replied something along the lines of how he’d bang any omega sibling of his, but he wasn’t really into the alpha talk. He really shouldn’t be going back to Purgaytory so soon. But that was just what his alpha needed, and he was itching to get into another alpha fight.

He had tomorrow off. If he drove through without taking any breaks, he could totally make it to Purgaytory for an alpha fight and back before he had to be back at the garage.

⁂

Dean had the huge alpha pinned in under ten minutes. This was his favorite part. This was why he had broken his rules and driven all the way back here, even though it had been merely _days_ since his last visit. Only the sense of victory didn’t give him the rush he craved.

The alpha bared his throat, and Dean should be looking forward to showing him his place by fucking some humility into him. Instead, he let him up and said, “Good fight” (even though it really hadn’t been) before walking over to his clothes.

The alpha smelled confused. “You won,” he said.

“I know. I’m not feeling like it.” He was still just as restless as he’d been ever since the last alpha fight. If this wasn’t what his alpha had been craving—then what the _hell_ was going on?!

He had never wanted a repeat performance with any of the alphas he’d fought. Fucking them and forgetting them, that was his motto. He wouldn’t mind fighting blue eyes again, though.

Popping his cherry had been a lot of fun, but somehow, the thought of pounding that ass for a second time, having that alpha admit defeat yet again— _that’s_ what he wanted. That’s why winning against that other alpha had done nothing for him.

It was such a shame that he wouldn’t get to have another go at blue eyes.

⁂

Castiel had tossed and turned the whole night without getting a lick of sleep. He still felt the phantom cock of that alpha in his ass whenever he moved, reminding him of the single hottest thing that had ever happened to him.

And then there was the bite mark on his mating gland. It had felt so right in the heat of the moment, but now that he was back home, it started hurting.

At first, he tried to ignore it, but it didn’t get any better and finally, it hurt bad enough that Castiel had to go to the doctor to have it checked out. It would be just his luck to have it get infected.

“Everything looks just fine here,” the doctor, a beta in his late 50s, said after poking and prodding him for a while. “Just have your mate lick and soothe it. A mating bite should be treated gently and with love, especially during the first few months.”

Mating _what_?!

“Oh no, this isn’t a mating bite,” Castiel quickly corrected him. “This is just…” How to delicately put it? “…a normal bite,” he finished a bit lamely.

The doctor blinked at him. “It is a bite on your mating gland,” he said slowly.

“Yes, it is, but…” He couldn’t really admit that it had been placed there by an alpha, so he trailed off.

Lying to your doctor was never a good idea, but maybe he could pass it off as having been done by a beta. Betas couldn’t mate alphas, could they?

“It was a beta,” he tried out that lie.

The intense look the doctor gave him made him think that maybe he knew more than Castiel was comfortable with. Who knew—maybe alphas from Purgaytory had come to him with similar problems before.

“I’m sorry to inform you of this, but that—” The doctor indicated Castiel’s neck. “—is a mating bite. If the… ahem… _beta_ isn’t around, it’s no wonder it hurts. I would advise you to find your mate before pining sickness sets in.”

He went over to his desk to write something on a piece of paper. “I can prescribe you a cream for that, but it will only get rid of the symptoms temporarily. The best cure is some attention by your mate.”

Castiel took the prescription as if in trance.

Mated? Surely, there must be some mistake. He was an _alpha_. He had been bitten by another alpha. Granted, one who had had his dick up his ass at the time, but everyone knew that alphas couldn’t mate each other.

“It is a common misconception that only alphas and omegas can get mated,” the doctor said, reading Castiel’s stunned silence correctly. “While other pairs are highly unusual, it _is_ possible for an alpha to form a mating bond with a beta. Or even with another alpha.”

The doctor was absolutely onto him. But that was the least of his worries right now. Apparently, he was mated to an alpha whose name he didn’t even know. An alpha who could be _anywhere_ right now.

The first thing he did (after getting the cream and applying it because the pounding in his neck was very distracting) was call Purgaytory in an attempt to get the alpha’s contact information.

Unfortunately, they took the anonymity of their customers very seriously and weren’t helpful in the slightest.

That left him with his old friend Google. As was always the case when something strange was going on—it had happened to other people before. They were mainly people who had woken up in Vegas with a mating bite on their necks but no mate in sight.

There was even a ‘find lost mates’ site, but there were just alphas looking for their omega mates and the other way around. Still, Castiel made an account and posted his story. When the only response he got was homophobic people telling him that alphas couldn’t (and shouldn’t) mate each other, he logged out again.

Stroking his mating bite in an attempt to fake his mate’s gentle touch, he could already feel his thoughts returning to the alpha’s agility and good looks, and to the way he had made him feel. He wondered whether his mate was feeling that strange pull too, or if that was just the oncoming pining sickness.

In order to distract himself, he decided to get a burger from his favorite burger joint. Comfort food was just what he needed right now.

⁂

Dean was almost out of town when a burger sign caught his eye.

Hell yeah! If this whole trip had been in vain, he would at least get a nice juicy burger for the road. It was a long drive back, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Castiel could still smell his mate’s scent even in the middle of a diner that mainly smelled like burgers and bacon. Another sign of pining sickness setting in, no doubt.

He was sitting in a booth in the back, in his usual corner where he was left in peace, his own burger with french fries on the side in front of him, but he wasn’t particularly hungry.

“You live around here or something?”

That voice!

His head whipped around so fast he almost strained his neck. There stood his mate, looking just as good as he remembered and smelling even better if at all possible.

The alpha just joined him in the booth, sliding onto the bench across from him without an invitation.

“Uhm… yes. Just two blocks away,” Castiel remembered to answer his question, wondering if pining sickness could lead to hallucinations.

The alpha leaned over to steal some of his fries while humming to show he was listening. Taking a stranger’s food without asking seemed kind of weird, but they were mates, so that might explain why the alpha felt comfortable crossing social boundaries with him.

“What about you?” Castiel asked. It seemed like a huge coincidence they would be running into each other here. After all, he had never seen this alpha around town before—he was sure he would have remembered a scent like that! So how had the alpha found him here?

“Nah. I’m from out of town. _Way_ out of town,” the alpha said, mouth full of Castiel’s fries. He accompanied that statement with a waggle of his eyebrows Castiel couldn’t quite make sense of.

While Castiel was confused and slightly flustered, the alpha seemed to have none of those problems. He was just sitting there, eating Castiel’s fries without a care in the world, pretending like he hadn’t had his cock in his ass a few days earlier. Pretending like he hadn’t _mated_ him.

“Look, uhm…”

“Dean,” the alpha offered, flashing him a grin. “How do you do?”

“I… good, I suppose.” At least a lot better now that he had found his mate again. Or, well, his mate had found _him_.

“You got a name, too?”

There went another handful of his fries. Good thing he wasn’t all that hungry.

“Castiel,” he said before he tried again, “Look, Dean… What we did in—”

“Whoa! Hey!” Dean interrupted him, choking on his fries. He looked around as if to check that no one was listening to them. Then he added in a lower voice, “Are you crazy, man? You don’t just _talk_ about that!”

Castiel pulled down his collar a bit to show Dean the bite mark and lowered his voice as well as he said, “You bit me…”

Again, Dean interrupted him, “Seriously!” But then he lost momentum as he stared at Castiel’s neck, making him feel a bit self-conscious. “Not here,” Dean said eventually. “You said you only lived two blocks away?”

⁂

“That’s bullshit,” was the first thing Dean said when Castiel had explained that they were mated.

They were sitting in his living room, and Dean was staring at his neck again.

“We’re alphas! So I bit you. So what? That doesn’t mean we’re _mated_.”

“So, you’re saying that you don’t feel any… mating bond between us?” Castiel asked. “Because you’re the one who came to _me_ in that diner.”

“Jeez, just wanted to say hello.”

“I was in the back, hidden behind those huge plants.” That was the whole reason that was his favorite spot in that diner. No reason for him to interact with people.

“So I picked up on your scent, big deal.” Dean rolled his eyes and muttered, “That’s what you get for trying to be friendly.”

“This is a mating bite,” Castiel reiterated, motioning to his neck. “You mated me in that club. Now, this is rather uncomfortable for me, so I would appreciate it if you could lick it.” He bared his neck for Dean, which, even though he had done it before, was still a bit strange, especially now that he was doing it unprompted.

But the other alpha didn’t seem to agree with his plan.

“What, are you gay? I’m not licking your neck, dude!”

Castiel blinked at him, trying to figure out why Dean suddenly had a problem with it. “You did last time.”

“That was different. We were in Purgaytory!” They stared at each other for a moment. Then Dean leaned forward slightly and said, pointing at him, “Tell you what, I’ll fight you for it. If I lose, I’ll give your neck a lick. If you lose… well, we know what happens.”

The thought of Dean’s cock in him again was not completely unwelcome. Still, he really needed Dean to tend to his mating bite, so he said, “If I win, I don’t just want a ‘lick.’” He ignored Dean’s confused look at his fingers curling around the air quotes and went on, “You treat the mating bite right for an hour.”

“An _hour_ , are you insane?!”

“Afraid you might lose?”

Maybe it was some sixth sense where mates were concerned, but he was starting to pick up on which buttons to push with this alpha.

Sure enough, Dean said, “Okay, whatever. Hope your ass is ready for some action ’cause I won’t go easy on you this time.”

Alpha trash talk had never been Castiel’s strong suit. So, he wasn’t surprised when his reply of “My ass is very ready.” was only met with a confused look from Dean.

They moved the furniture to the side so that they had enough space to fight and agreed that the same rules applied as in Purgaytory.

When the fight began, Castiel made sure that he kept his eyes above Dean’s waist. Watching the alpha’s muscles flex as he moved around was distracting enough, and he really couldn’t use random thoughts of Dean pinning him down when he was trying to win.

The fight took longer than the last one. Having fought each other before, they knew the other’s tricks and could anticipate them.

In the end, it looked like Dean had been cocky for a reason. After multiple failed attempts, he finally managed to pin Castiel to the floor once more, a smug expression on his face that told him the alpha was already sure he had won the fight.

Castiel really needed Dean’s mouth on his mating bite, though. So, he ignored the erection he could feel against his stomach and pulled Dean down to lick a long stripe up his neck to his mating gland.

Knowing your opponent and how to freak him out really paid off as he could use the moment of surprise to turn the tables on Dean.

Once Castiel was the one who had the other alpha pinned, he made sure that Dean wouldn’t be able to get free.

It was obvious that Dean wasn’t used to losing a fight. He grumbled and tried to twist free, and finally, when Castiel wasn’t letting him up, said, “You cheated.”

“There aren’t any rules against licking.”

“Yeah, well, still.”

Sore loser or not, Dean did keep his word. He sauntered over to the couch and sat his naked butt down, waiting for Castiel to join him.

The alpha seemed very comfortable in his skin. Castiel had assumed they would get dressed first, but same rules as in Purgaytory probably meant that clothes were only allowed to be put back on once the price had been paid.

“You’re supposed to kiss it and… stuff,” Castiel instructed him as he sat down next to him on the couch, once again baring his throat in Dean’s presence.

Before Dean had so much as touched his mating bite, he felt it begin to tingle in anticipation. Just being in the presence of his (naked) mate was doing wonders.

He had expected Dean to complain some more, but the alpha just went right for it. The little nibbles and licks turned more heated as Dean bit him hard and soothed that bite with long seductive swirls of the tongue—and it all just felt _so good_.

His doctor had been right. This was how a mating bite was supposed to be treated. Dean’s lips and tongue on his neck were like a drug.

Since Dean had been less than enthusiastic about the prospect of doing this, Castiel had thought he’d be phoning it in, just go through the motions, but wow, he was really giving it his all.

Even though there was no touching between them apart from Dean’s mouth on his mating gland (and his hand on the back of his head to steady him), Castiel’s dick, which had been aroused since the fight, found the proceedings more than exciting. Being teased by your mate would do that to you.

After all, here was his naked mate right next to him kissing and licking his mating bite, which among mates was absolutely a form of foreplay.

Instinctively, he tilted his head further to the side, inviting Dean to do… whatever.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean was in the middle of making good on his bet when Cas went ahead and exposed his neck for him even more. If he were an omega, that would be a clear sign—an obvious invitation for Dean to take things further. Every time an omega had shown him respect in that way, they had ended up with Dean’s cock in their asses sooner or later (mostly sooner).

What was Cas playing at here?

The alpha was aggravating and hard to figure out; Dean had already learned that much about him.

First, when he had picked up on that scent again in the diner, things had felt right for the first time in days. His headache he hadn’t even been aware of had gone away, and the whole trip to Pontiac had suddenly seemed like the best idea he’d ever had.

When he had struck up a conversation, he might have hoped to find out if Cas had become a regular at Purgaytory, so that they could run into each other there again. If he hadn’t, Dean might just have invited him back for an encore.

But Cas had to make things weird with his insane theory that they were mated, when all Dean had wanted was get his money’s worth by finally getting to fuck an alpha. After all, he had let the other one off the hook and was still horny as fuck.

Of course, licking at Cas’ neck hadn’t helped that situation one bit. It was actually kind of fun. Even though it wasn’t his dick in Cas’ hole, he still had the alpha in a submissive posture, what with his neck bared and all.

Then there was the fact that playing with the bite on Cas’ neck was making _him_ feel good for some reason. And not in a triumphant ‘got that alpha at his mercy’ kind of way, either. But in a way that his own mating gland was pounding excitedly.

So, when Cas tilted his head further to the side, exposing a long line of neck and throat, Dean’s alpha felt teased as well as intrigued, and he wanted nothing more than to take Cas up on the dare. It seemed like Cas was finally admitting that he had cheated in the fight and that Dean totally would have won otherwise. Dean should absolutely get to collect on his prize as well. It was only fair.

There was a lot of naked skin, still glistening with sweat from their wrestling match, so Dean pushed his erection against Cas’ hip while biting at his neck harder just to see if he had interpreted the gesture right—making sure that it meant the same coming from an alpha.

Nuzzling against Cas’ neck, he was definitely picking up on the scent of arousal. A quick look down confirmed it—that was one long, hard dick between Cas’ legs. Not that he was checking out another alpha’s junk. Just making sure they were on the same page here.

Taking Cas by the neck, he pushed the other alpha down to lie back on the couch, following suit and crowding him, before letting go of his neck to bare his teeth just slightly, just enough to tell him who was boss and that he better not move while Dean leaned over the couch to fish for his jeans.

When he finally got the lube out of the pants pocket, he showed it to Cas, eyebrows raised. Last chance to back out.

Cas’ breathing picked up as he looked up at Dean and licked his lips in anticipation.

Okay then. Seemed like they were doing this.

In Purgaytory, he’d never fucked an alpha face to face, but somehow, the thought of looking Cas in the eye when the alpha gave himself over to him was a massive turn-on. He couldn’t wait to watch his face when he was being penetrated.

For now, he popped the cap of the lube and squirted some onto his fingers before tossing the bottle aside. Time to get that alpha ready for another pounding. That’s what he got for cheating at an alpha fight.

Fingering his hole was supposed to be nothing but a necessity. Something that had to be done so that he could fuck that hole. But somehow, watching Cas’ face contort and hearing his low grunts as he squirmed around on his fingers made this process _fun_ , and Dean spent maybe a longer time at it than strictly necessary.

After brushing against his prostate once so that Cas almost bucked off the couch, he deliberately avoided touching it again until the alpha was a desperate, squirming mess. Yeah, he had him just where he wanted him.

Finally, he gave his own stiff cock a few long strokes, lubing it up before he hoisted Cas’ legs up onto his shoulders. Then he lined his cock up with Cas’ well-greased hole, and pushed into him with one quick stroke.

There it was—Cas’ eyelids fluttered closed, his cheeks a delicious shade of pink. How could he ever have thought taking him from behind was a better position than doing him like this?! It basically gave him a front-row seat to witnessing the other alpha’s submission.

“Look at me!” Dean ordered, using a hint of alpha voice.

He had no idea if that even worked on other alphas, but whatever the reason, Cas’ beautiful blue eyes opened again and found his.

Holding his gaze, Dean slowly pulled out and penetrated him again, never letting him look away. The alpha should know exactly who was fucking his ass.

Since Cas had asked for his so-called mating bite to be ‘kissed and stuff,’ Dean leaned down to do just that while he delivered a few deep thrusts.

He could feel his own mating gland swell in sympathy as he kept nibbling on Cas’.

Fucking Cas for the second time was even better, even though he wouldn’t have thought it possible. It might be the bond that had formed between them. Not that there was any sort of bond—fuck it, yes, there was.

Dean kept missing Cas’ prostate on purpose because having Cas wriggle around on his cock to try for another angle felt really good. Plus, the frustrated sounds he made only spurred Dean’s alpha on.

“Something you wanted?” he asked, slowing down his thrusts.

“Assbutt!” Cas growled, which wasn’t very nice, so Dean fucked him harder to teach him some manners.

His balls kept slapping Cas’ ass, almost spanking it, and as he set a punishing pace, he gave in and started drilling right into his prostate.

Cas’ face distorted in pleasure as Dean’s cock kept invading his hole, now basically laying siege to his prostate.

Heat started pooling low in his stomach and he picked up the pace even more to chase his orgasm. Cas’ hole was teasing the swell of his knot with each thrust, and when Cas came on his cock, his inner walls rippling, and squeezing so tightly around him, Dean could feel his stomach muscles clench tighter and he came inside the other alpha, filling him up spurt by spurt.

You didn’t knot another alpha face to face—okay, you usually didn’t knot another alpha _at all_ , but it had been fun last time, so why not? So, Dean pulled out, manhandled Cas onto his belly and pushed back into his hole from behind so that he could fuck into his undoubtedly sore ass a couple more times before knotting him.

So there. Here was his mate (maybe mate; probably mate) having just received a load of Dean’s spunk, with Dean’s knot in his ass—again. Dean gave Cas’ full ass a slap, just as a reminder.

Dean’s alpha was finally sexually satisfied. After days of sexual frustration that could have as easily been _years_ (it sure felt like it), this right here had definitely taken the edge off.

Cas deserved some kind of reward for that. For letting him use his hole like that.

That was the only reason Dean leaned down, blanketing the other alpha with his body, to nuzzle against that mating bite again. God, it tasted awesome! His scent gland was right next to it and the scent of happy, sated Cas was having the strangest effect on him.

Yeah, those were the mating hormones for sure.

He forced himself to stop lapping at Cas’ neck.

“So, what do we do about that mating bond?” he asked. Obviously, they couldn’t stay mated.

Since he had never intended to get mated, he had no idea how to go about breaking a mating bond, though. Maybe Cas had a better understanding of the steps they needed to take.

But Cas just mumbled, “Your pillow talk sucks.”

“Oh, sorry, was I supposed to tell you how good you were?” Dean retorted, trying to ignore the fact that the sex _had_ been pretty damn great.

A sigh from beneath him told him that Cas didn’t appreciate the sarcasm.

“I’m glad you’re finally caught up with what’s going on here,” Cas said. “But maybe the discussion of what to do next can wait until you don’t have your dick in my ass.”

That was a fair point.

He just hoped that once they had figured out how to break that bond between them, they could still have the occasional alpha fight. Cas might very well be the best lay he’d ever had and Dean wasn’t quite ready to give that up.


	6. Chapter 6

Letting Dean fuck him for the second time was somewhat easier since he already knew what to expect. There was no reason to be nervous about Dean stuffing his huge alpha cock into him because he knew how good it could feel.

At the same time, giving himself to Dean without having lost the alpha fight meant this was happening because he _wanted_ it to. No ‘gotta honor the rules’ to hide behind this time. No, this had been all Castiel, offering himself to another alpha to do with as he pleased because he had missed that exhilarating feeling of a more dominant alpha on top of him.

Of course, Dean had to be an assbutt about it, holding back from giving him just what he wanted. From what he knew about the alpha, that shouldn’t surprise him. He wouldn’t put it past Dean to use him for his own pleasure and then leave Castiel high and dry. After all, he had yet to so much as touch Castiel’s dick.

But in the end, Castiel got what he wanted, too, and the fact that Dean wasn’t paying his dick any mind actually turned out great for him because he had once more popped a knot out of nowhere. If Dean were aware of that, he would no doubt make fun of him for it.

Lying here on his belly, for the second time in his life with an alpha’s knot stretching out his ass, Castiel couldn’t help but feel satisfied and content. They had consummated their mating and were now resting, the onset of pining sickness long since forgotten now that their scents were mixing and they were joined in the most intimate way.

There was one thing that was a bit unnerving, though (apart from Dean’s question about their mating bond, which this was absolutely not the time for). His knot was aching for… something. Since he didn’t have a lot of experience with popping knots, he didn’t exactly know what to do.

He wormed a hand underneath himself, slowly, inch by inch so as not to alert Dean to what he was doing, until he could press his palm against his oversensitive knot.

The relief was short-lived because the next second, another shuddering orgasm ripped through him.

“Dude! Are you coming on my knot again?!”

His mate definitely didn’t know when to keep his comments to himself.

Trying in vain to regain control, Castiel pressed out, “Shut up!”

But of course, Dean didn’t. “Stop coming on my knot!” he said, but Castiel couldn’t stop if his life depended on it, bucking back against him, and then Dean groaned and came again inside of him, too. He was holding onto Castiel’s hips, pressing deep into him, and his knot seemed to get bigger inside his ass.

Panting, Castiel let go of his own knot, still careful and hardly daring to move his hand.

Multiple orgasms. He hadn’t known that was possible for two alphas. But then again, they were mated, so nothing should surprise him anymore.

“Great! It was just about to go down,” Dean grumbled. “You only have yourself to thank if you’re stuck on my knot for a while longer.”

Castiel kept to himself that he didn’t really mind all that much.

⁂

Once they were fully clothed again, they were discussing their options regarding their predicament. The FAQ page of the National Center for Mating Affairs was helpful, but it did not offer the answers they had hoped for.

Dean was rather disgruntled. “I thought those six months were only for bureaucratic reasons. You know, make sure that mates don’t just break mating bonds left and right, but are certain of their decision?”

“Well, that too,” Castiel conceded, skimming the answer to the question of how soon after a mating you could break the bond. “But apparently, biology also has a way of making sure those six to seven months are spent together.”

“To _seven_?!” Dean repeated as if that one additional month was somehow the deal breaker.

“We can try for the first time after five months,” Castiel summed up what the webpage said. “But it probably won’t be successful then.”

Dean sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Okay, how often do we have to… hang out to avoid any side effects?”

Castiel scrolled down a bit. “Ideally, every day.”

“Yeah, ain’t gonna happen. What else you got?”

Of course, Castiel would be stuck with the most stubborn alpha on earth.

Dean hadn’t been joking. He really was from ‘way out of town’ (and out of state) which certainly wouldn’t make things easier. When Castiel asked what he had been doing in Pontiac (thinking that maybe he had visited family here), Dean just gave a gruff reply that didn’t really clear things up, and basically told him to mind his own business.

Since they couldn’t just drive back and forth hundreds of miles multiple times a week, they had to come up with a better solution.

It quickly became clear that if one of them had to move for a few months, it was going to be Castiel. Unlike Dean, he didn’t have family nearby, and now that his relationship with Amelia was over, there wasn’t much keeping him here. As a matter of fact, he had been thinking about moving anyway, afraid of running into her at the grocery store or just on the street.

Plus, it would give Castiel the push he needed to quit his job. Ever since his break-up with Amelia, things had been increasingly unpleasant at work—not really surprising with her uncle as the CEO of the company.

Gabe only lived about an hour’s drive away from Dean, maybe he could crash at his place for a while. After all, his brother had mooched off him in the past plenty of times. Time to collect some favors…

For now, they exchanged phone numbers in case of pining emergencies, and made plans to meet up next Sunday.

And then Castiel had to watch Dean leave yet again, this time aware that it wasn’t just some stranger, but his actual _mate_. He’d drive hundreds of miles away from him. That thought alone made his mating bite ache, even though Dean had only just left.

In the middle of the night, he woke up and looked at his cell phone. Dean had to be home by now. But of course, there was no message. It wasn’t like they had the kind of relationship where Dean had to check in with him and tell him he’d made it home safely. And wouldn’t Castiel know if he was in trouble anyway? Didn’t mates feel this kind of thing through their mating bond?

He tossed and turned for a while, but in the end, he decided to give Dean a call himself—just to make sure the number worked.

It went to voicemail, which was to be expected, but what he hadn’t expected was hearing the message, _“This is Dean's other, other cell.”_

Well. That seemed about right.

⁂

The first thing Gabe said when Castiel called to tell him he was mated was, _“Well, Amelia_ has _been hinting around long enough. Congratulations, I guess?”_

Oh, right. He hadn’t mentioned the whole internet porn fiasco yet. Mainly because that wasn’t really something he was keen on discussing with his _brother_. Even though Gabe would probably give him recommendations for porn sites—or rather, _because_ Gabe would probably give him recommendations for porn sites.

“It’s not… Wait—you _guess_?!”

 _“If it makes you happy, bro,”_ was all Gabe said to that.

Time to drop the bombshell. “It’s not Amelia.”

Before he could go on, Gabe interrupted him with, _“Oh, thank God!”_

Furrowing his brows, Castiel asked, “What is that supposed to mean?”

_“Just that you obviously weren’t that into her. So, who is it? Balthazar?”_

“How…? What…? Balthazar is an _alpha_!”

Why would he even guess that? The fact that he was right about the alpha part was irrelevant. He was supposed to be _surprised_ by that piece of information. Maybe shocked. Something a bit closer to the way Castiel had felt when he had found out about it.

_“So? You two had more chemistry than you and Amelia ever did.”_

At least the fact that Gabe reacted like this to the idea of Castiel being mated to an alpha made it easier for him to talk about what was really going on. He tried to gloss over some aspects, but Gabe could probably fill in the blanks.

_“Of course. Mi casa es su casa. I will open my doors to make it easier for young love.”_

“We are neither young nor in love.”

 _“Oh Cassie!”_ Gabe laughed in the way he usually did when Castiel didn’t get a reference. _“For recently-mated dumbasses then. Just pack your things and get your butt over here.”_

Just knowing that he would soon be closer to Dean was appeasing his alpha. According to the National Center for Mating Affairs, being too far away from your mate was almost as bad as being apart from your mate for too long. He could feel the bond that had been pushing him to call Dean or go to him quiet down some.

Six to seven months. It certainly wouldn’t be easy, but he could do this!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! If you did, I'd love to hear from you in the comment section! 💖


End file.
